Ready for Des MoinesHenge?

To play on the idea that Stonehenge was built for marking the solar events, Manhattanhenge is an event that happens twice a year when the sunset aligns with the street grid in Manhattan (far right image). Because of the skyline, these two days a year are the only two days someone on the ground can see the sun meet the horizon.

To figure out if this happens in your city or town, a website called SunCalc allows you to calculate the angle of sunrise/sunset from any vantage point on the planet. With this information, you could figure out when your surroundings mark sunrise or sunset. You enter a location and a date, then SunCalc determines the angle you would see the sun rise or set.

This Saturday looks like a good match between the sunset and the downtown Des Moines street grid. February 8th looked like a good date to watch the sun rise in downtown Carroll.